The Funniest (and the Worst!) Moments in Bingo History

Bingo is supposed to be fun, but what happens when you throw a few party poopers into the mix? An explosion of fury erupts. Online bingo has its moments, but all it takes is for one bad word too many and the chat hosts clamp down and remove the offender from chat privileges, but at bingo halls, it can get a lot more physical! 

Over the years there have been many headlines of the good, the bad and the ugly and one of my favourite news pieces came in 2009 when a 76-year old grandmother found herself banned from every Mecca bingo hall in the country!

Rosalyn Clemson was a regular at her local Mecca Bingo and had been for more than half a century. One week, she and her friends fancied a change of scenery and arranged a group tip to a rival bingo company. Claiming she had broken membership rules, Mecca sent her a letter stating that she and her husband were no longer welcome there or in any of the hundreds of clubs up and down the country!

Can you imagine the uproar if that were to happen today? What madness! The frail pensioner was devastated. At the time she said: “All I did was organise a little trip to Runcorn for a change of scene for me and a few friends. The way the Mecca reacted you would think I was some kind spy or traitor to the cause.

It's like they want to own us body and soul because we are members of the Mecca Bingo. It's ridiculous, but it has really upset me. I live opposite the Mecca and I have enjoyed going there for years and now I am barred.”

From Kindness to Banned

In 2018, a warm-hearted mother found herself banned for life ‘twice’ by Mecca bingo, and her crime? Treating a homeless man to a cup of coffee. Sue Francis found herself in ‘hot water’ after purchasing a cup of coffee from her club to give to a shivering man who lay shivering outside.

She said: “I saw Darren with his dog Jess, they are inseparable. They were both soaking wet because it was pouring down. Darren was looking really ill and his feet were so swollen he could barely walk. I went inside to get him a hot drink but as I was buying a coffee, I heard a member of staff say, ‘She’s not taking that outside’, I said ‘Shame on you. You’ve got a roof over your head. He hasn’t, he’s very ill.’”

What did the major bingo chain do? They reviewed the incident and decided to uphold the twice-lifetime ban imposed!

Cash-Strapped?

Can you believe we’re back with a third story from a once-loved Mecca Bingo player? In 2017, Linda Cannon said she was accused by the major UK bingo chain of spending dirty money. Swooping in like cops on a criminal, the bus driver said she was “singled out in front of everyone and made to feel as
if I had committed a crime. I felt humiliated and criminalised and I left in tears.”

Back then, asking for documents for proof of income was not exactly ethical and probably went down like a bucket of cold sick, however, thanks to new legislation, it is now a requirement of all gambling establishments by the UKGC and it is known as SOF (source of funds) checks.

Whopping Great Theft

Tracey Harland, a bingo hall manager from Newcastle, found her number was up when she was arrested and jailed for a total of 4-years in 2013, for stealing £100K from her bingo employer. The once trusted manager was responsible for handing out the winnings, but what she was doing was stealing from the club and they also feared she was stealing from the winners.

It was estimated that she stole on average £500 a week, every week for four years before the bosses cottoned-on to what she was doing. Prosecutor Mr Rowland said at the time of sentencing: “It was estimated that in total, going back to April 2008, the amount of loss was £104,516, which had been taken unlawfully from the business.

It escalated between April 2012 and April this year, when £35,000 was taken. This was achieved by the amounts being recorded as winnings being grossly inflated. Winning customers were given the correct amount, but the defendant would pocket the rest of the grossly inflated figure in cash.”

Adult Antics

Just before Christmas 2019, a woman from south West Wales found herself in the national headlines for what happened to her at Flamingo Bingo. Instead of an evening of entertainment, it was an evening of violence!

Dyfed Powys Police said (at the time) they were appealing for witnesses after a woman was assaulted with a giant sex toy! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Flamingo Bingo, it’s a travelling event where bingo meets music and crazy antics! Police believe the woman responsible for the attack was also responsible for trying to drag two other women out of a toilet cubicle!

Flamingo Bingo said on its Facebook page "violent behaviour will not be tolerated at our events."

Murder in Mind

February 2020 saw the nationwide reporting and conclusion of a sad case from 2015, where a 41-year-old woman murdered her own uncle – 80-year old John Proctor, so she could feed her bingo habit. On June 13^th 2015, Susan Warned threw her uncle down the stairs, stabbed him in the neck and made off with £300.

When the police caught up with her (thanks to CCTV), they found a mobile belonging to the suspect with a videoed confession. She is reported to have said: “I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen.” The bingo addict was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 20-years.